Indiana governor honors Don Wolf

Indianapolis -- Retired Do it Best Corp. CEO Don Wolf re-entered the spotlight Sunday night at the co-op's October market shareholder meeting.

Wolf received the state’s highest honor -- the Sachem Award for leadership and character -- hand-delivered by Governor Mike Pence.

Wolf guided Hardware Wholesale, the forerunner of Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Do it Best Corp., from a $35 million business in 1967 to his retirement in 1992, when the company’s sales were $1.25 billion. The governor also praised Wolf’s community involvement, saying Wolf “personifies everything that is good about this country, Indiana and this organization.”

In his acceptance remarks, Wolf thanked the dealers and the Do it Best employees, past and present. “All of you made this happen,” Wolf said. “You took this corporate philosophy to serve others as you like to be served, and you’ve done so much for your communities.”

Wolf is founder of The Study Connection, providing volunteer tutors to Fort Wayne students.He is also co-founder of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Fort Wane. And he was the 1993 Indiana Business Leader of the Year.

The Sachem award is named for an Algonquin term for revered leaders and is given annually to a leader who shows character, judgment and other qualities. Past winners include baseball player/banker Carl Erskine, basketball legend John Wooden and philanthropist Jane Blaffer Owen.